DIG’s seasoned leadership team has designed, managed, and implemented development program across Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East/North Africa region, Eastern Europe, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. DIG’s staff worldwide speaks over a dozen languages. Our team is committed to improving the lives of the urban poor through innovative, commercially-viable solutions to reduce poverty.

Executive Team

Franck Daphnis, President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Mr. Daphnis is a recognized leader in development finance. Mr. Daphnis’ professional expertise is in the areas of housing finance, microfinance, urban development, housing and infrastructure rehabilitation, municipal services cost recovery, and urban environmental management. Before founding DIG, Mr. Daphnis worked as CHF International's Director of Field Program Operations. He served as a key advisor on development finance and urban issues for numerous noteworthy institutions including the Cities Alliance, the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Swedish International Development Corporation Agency, and the World Bank. For nine years, he also served as a member of the faculty at the Boulder Institute of Microfinance. Mr. Daphnis has authored and edited two books on housing finance, including the seminal work
Housing Microfinance: a Guide to Practice (Kumarian Press, January 2004). He holds a master's degree in urban planning from Cornell University, as well as a master's degree in architecture.

Delila Khaled, Executive Vice President

Ms. Khaled, a founding member of DIG, brings 15 years of international development experience. Her broad range of expertise includes microfinance, investment promotion, community development, employment generation, and infrastructure improvement. She has managed programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Asian Development Bank, and private sector organizations worldwide. As DIG's Executive Vice President, Ms. Khaled oversees the firm's project management and business development functions. She previously served as Business Development Manager for The Services Group (TSG), and as Senior Program Manager for CHF International where she oversaw all microfinance, housing finance, agribusiness and community services programs in India, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, the West Bank and Gaza.

Ruby AlSalem, Director of Global Microfinance Services

Ms. AlSalem is a seasoned micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) financial services expert with robust training skills. She has 15 years of experience in MSME access to finance, ranging from market assessments to product delivery. She helps financial institutions improve their strategic planning, financial projections, product design and testing, risk management, and human resources. Ms. AlSalem has managed multi-million dollar microfinance and housing finance programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the private sector. She has provided critical support to a variety of financial institutions in Jordan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Lebanon, Yemen, India, Kenya, and Liberia to enable MSMEs to grow, thrive, and generate employment. Prior to founding DIG, Ms. AlSalem served as Deputy General Manager for AMEEN, one of the largest and most successful microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Lebanon, and one of the first organizations in the Middle East to pioneer the linkage of MFIs with commercial banks.

Ms. Panek Bringle leads DIG’s Financial Services for the Poor area of expertise and serves as DIG’s CFO. In this dual-role, she ensures that DIG’s programmatic and financial teams collaborate, allowing us to deliver results with unswerving commitment to contractual compliance. She specializes in development finance, shelter finance, and post-emergency economic and infrastructure rehabilitation. She has designed and implemented technical assistance and training programs worldwide to help financial institutions achieve scale and sustainability in providing financial services for the poor. Ms. Panek Bringle works with a wide range of partners, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), large US foundations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), multi-lateral institutions, and private banks. Ms. Panek Bringle also served as a consistency editor for
Housing Microfinance: a Guide to Practice (Kumarian Press, January 2004).

Marianne Carliez, Director of Global Program Management

Ms. Carliez heads DIG's Urban, Water, and Infrastructure services. Over the last 13 years, she has focused on a broad range of urban development issues, including water and sanitation, municipal governance, housing, and community infrastructure. Her regional experience spans across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Ms. Carliez works with a wide range of partners, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and financial institutions. She has co-taught a course in French on financing slum upgrading at the Boulder Institute of Microfinance. Prior to joining DIG, Ms. Carliez worked for the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank,
Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), and CHF International. She has a master's degree from the University of Paris-Sorbonne.

Senior Management Team

Eric Adams, Kenya Representative and SUWASA Kenya Team Leader

Mr. Adams has extensive international development and microfinance experience in Latin America, South Asia, Asia Pacific, Mexico, and Africa in the areas of governance, regulatory compliance, budget management, and resource mobilization. In Kenya, where he is currently based, he has devised an innovative financial scheme between utilities and microfinance institutions (MFIs), which is increasing the poor's access to cheaper and safer water. In the realm of microfinance, he provided management and staff training, training-of-trainers, strategic planning, market assessments, and product design services. He has authored publications and training manuals on microfinance operations, market assessments, business planning, public policy and education. He holds a master of business administration from Thunderbird University and is fluent in English and Spanish.

Bryan Winston, Haiti Country Director

Mr. Winston has more than 30 years of international economic, community, and housing development experience with key expertise in organizational development, training, and grants management. He has managed programs financed by a variety of donors (including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Colombia, the European Union, the World Bank and private foundations) in the US, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining DIG, he directed a nationwide housing program in Colombia which provided comprehensive humanitarian, psychosocial, income generation, and shelter support to 30,000 displaced families each year.